Connecting Men, Families, Doctors, and other Medical Professionals to Clinical Trials for Prostate Cancer

        DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

          -  Adenocarcinoma of the prostate treated primarily with radical prostatectomy

               -  Pathologically proven to be lymph node-negative by pelvic lymphadenectomy (N0)
                  or lymph node status pathologically unknown (Nx [undissected pelvic lymph nodes
                  because lymph node dissection is not required])

               -  Any type of radical prostatectomy allowed, including retropubic, perineal,
                  laparoscopic or robotically assisted

               -  Meets 1 of the following pathologic classifications:

                    -  T3 N0/Nx disease with or without positive prostatectomy margins

                    -  T2 N0/Nx disease with or without positive prostatectomy margins

               -  N1 patients are ineligible, as are those with pelvic lymph node enlargement >=
                  1.5 cm in greatest dimension by CT scan or MRI of the pelvis, unless the
                  enlarged lymph node is negative

               -  Prostatectomy Gleason score of 9 or less

          -  A post-radical prostatectomy entry PSA of >= 0.1 and <= 1.0 ng/mL at least 6 weeks
             after prostatectomy and within 30 days of registration

          -  Serum total testosterone >= 40% of the lower limit of normal (patients who have had a
             unilateral orchiectomy are eligible as long as this requirement is met)

          -  No distant metastases based on history/physical examination, CT scan or MRI of the
             abdomen and pelvis, and bone scan

          -  No palpable prostatic fossa abnormality/mass suggestive of recurrence, unless shown
             by biopsy under ultrasound guidance not to contain cancer

        PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

          -  Zubrod performance status 0-1

          -  Platelets >= 100,000/mm^3

          -  Hemoglobin >= 10.0 g/dL (the use of transfusion or other intervention to achieve this
             is allowed)

          -  AST or ALT < 2 x upper limit of normal

          -  No prior invasive malignancy (except nonmelanoma skin cancer) unless disease-free for
             a minimum of 5 years (e.g., carcinoma in situ of the oral cavity is permissible)

          -  No severe, active co-morbidity, including any of the following:

               -  History of inflammatory bowel disease

               -  History of hepatitis B or C

               -  Unstable angina and/or congestive heart failure requiring hospitalization within
                  the past 6 months

               -  Transmural myocardial infarction within the past 6 months

               -  Acute bacterial or fungal infection requiring intravenous antibiotics at the
                  time of registration

               -  Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation or other respiratory illness
                  requiring hospitalization or precluding study therapy at the time of
                  registration

               -  Hepatic insufficiency resulting in clinical jaundice and/or coagulation defects

               -  Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) based upon current CDC definition

                    -  HIV testing is not required for entry

          -  No prior allergic reaction to the study drug(s) involved in this protocol

        PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

          -  See Disease Characteristics

          -  More than 5 years since prior chemotherapy for any other disease site

          -  No androgen deprivation therapy started prior to prostatectomy for > 6 months
             duration

          -  No androgen deprivation therapy started after prostatectomy and prior to registration

          -  No neoadjuvant chemotherapy before prostatectomy

          -  No prior cyrosurgery or brachytherapy of the prostate (prostatectomy should be the
             primary treatment and not a salvage procedure)

          -  No prior pelvic radiotherapy